First, the bad news: Liam Neeson beats up fewer people in “Unknown” than he did in his 2009 hit “Taken.”

Even with the smaller bodycount, the 58-year-old Neeson proves his unlikely stint as action hero is no fluke. “Unknown” may borrow heavily from better thrillers, but it has enough suspense and smarts to keep an audience entertained during these winter movie doldrums.

Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris, a researcher visiting Berlin with his wife (January Jones) to attend an important conference. About to check into the hotel, Harris forgets his briefcase in the cab. He rushes into another cab to pursue it, then gets into a terrible accident.Four days later, Harris awakens from a coma without identification, rushes out of the hospital and heads back to the hotel, only to find his wife on the arm of another man. This guy (Aiden Quinn) claims to be the real Dr. Harris, and dear wifey seems to believe it too.

Think back on other memory-loss thrillers and it’s easy to see where this is heading. The trick is not minding, as director Jaume Collet-Serra (“Orphan”) works hard to keep the suspense ticking. He puts enough spin on some classic sequences to make “Unknown” a memorable experience, whether it’s adding ice to the car chases or a few extra details to smaller moments– like the act of reaching for a pair of scissors.

Diane Kruger (“Inglourious Basterds”) is a welcome tag-along as Harris’ fated cab driver, and Frank Langella makes an impact in a small but pivotal role (Just don’t trust him). It’s hard for January Jones to shake her “Mad Men” persona, but in this case, that character’s ice-cold tendencies suit the movie well.

Now for the biggest question for any conspiracy thriller: Does it all make sense? There are holes in the twists, and the plot gets fairly preposterous by the end, but “Unknown” isn’t one of those movies that pulls out the rug without explaining why. Within the confines of its storytelling, “Unknown” is logical enough to be drawn into its suspense.

Without a great actor like Neeson, however, it’d probably be a different story. We’re talking about the the guy who almost made “The Phantom Menace” tolerable. He adds a letter grade to almost everything he’s in.
Grade: B
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